The Institute of Geodesy and Cartography has been established in 1945. The scope of activities of the Institute subordinate to the Presidium of the Council of Ministers was designated to cover: conducting studies in the field of technique and organization of surveying, organizing and developing ideas in the field of geodesy, publication of manuscript with the results of works covering the scope of Institute activities, cooperation with national and international scientific institutions in the field of geodesy.

In the Institute’s head office in Warsaw located at 27 Jacka Kaczmarskiego Street as well as in the Geodetic-Geophysical Observatory Borowa Gora located in Jadwisin there are over 60 employees, mainly geodesists and geographers with university education. Amongst them 13 have PhD degree: 8 assistant professors, 3 associate professors, and 2 full professors.

The mission of the Institute is to carry out research and applied works in the field of surveying and mapping and related disciplines of science, for the needs of state and local governments, private sector, national security as well as for the needs of an international society represented by organizations implementing global reference systems. The data obtained by the Institute, mostly in digital form, are made available through special databases on the OGNIWO geoportal.

An important part of Institute’s activities is to conduct research and application works in the field of reference systems, setting up and maintenance of basic geodetic, gravimetric and magnetic control, modelling of gravity field, geodynamics, monitoring of deformations of engineering objects, geodetic and gravimetric metrology as well as the use of aerial and satellite remote sensing in agriculture, environment protection and public statistics. The Institute collaborates with various national, foreign and international organizations and institutions.

The Institute of Geodesy and Cartography runs Geodetic-Geophysical Observatory Borowa Gora as well as specialized laboratories: gravimetric laboratory, laboratory of calibration of surveying instruments, microwave remote sensing laboratory, and remote sensing of natural hazards laboratory. The Institute supports the process of implementation of the spatial information infrastructure through the realization of research and development in this field. These works are conducted in accordance with the INSPIRE Directive and national regulations related to the area of digitalization of the state.